CTV leader breaks rank with Ortega and Cova

www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, January 24, 2003 - 3:10:00 PM By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) director, Pablo Castro says a constitutional amendment is the way forward towards securing a peaceful, democratic and electoral solution to Venezuela's political, economic and social crisis.

Analysts say they cannot be certain if Castro’s declaration marks a distance from CTV president Carlos Ortega and general secretary Manuel Cova but they say the declaration coincides with a general realization among opposition groups that President Chavez Frias will not cave in to opposition pressure to hold early elections or be forced to a consultative referendum.

Castro insists that any agreement to go for a constitutional amendment must be the result of government-opposition negotiations because he maintains that it will be binding on Chavez Frias and difficult for him to duck out of.

“It will help us avoid the kind of ambushes that Chavez Frias laid to stall the consultative referendum … It’s up to the National Assembly to speed up the passing of the amendment … the country cannot wait any longer.”

Castro points out that such an agreement is the only basis for lifting the national stoppage.